1 A nd it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid upon the South, and upon Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire,

When David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had come to fight in the Negev and Ziklag. They had destroyed Ziklag, and burned it with fire.

2 a nd had taken captive the women and all that were therein, both small and great: they slew not any, but carried them off, and went their way.

They took the women and all who were in it, without killing anyone. They carried them out and went on their way.

3 A nd when David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captive.

David and his men came to the city and saw that it was burned. Their wives and sons and daughters had been taken away.

4 T hen David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

Then David and the people with him cried out in a loud voice until they had no more strength to cry.

5 A nd David's two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

David’s two wives had been taken away, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail who had been the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

6 A nd David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David strengthened himself in Jehovah his God.

And David was very troubled because the people talked about killing him with stones. For all the people were very angry in their sorrow for their sons and daughters. But David got his strength from the Lord his God.

7 A nd David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

David said to Abiathar the religious leader, son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the linen vest.” So Abiathar brought the linen vest to David.

8 A nd David inquired of Jehovah, saying, If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue; for thou shalt surely overtake them, and shalt without fail recover all.

Then David asked the Lord, “Should I go after this army? Should I meet them in battle?” The Lord said to him, “Go after them, for you will catch them for sure. And you will be sure to save all the people.”

9 S o David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.

So David and the 600 men who were with him went out and came to the river of Besor. There those stayed who were left behind.

10 B ut David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

But David kept going after them, with 400 men. For 200 were too tired to cross the river of Besor and stayed behind.

11 A nd they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they gave him water to drink.

They found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave him bread and he ate, and he was given water to drink.

12 A nd they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

They gave him a piece of a fig loaf and two vines of dried grapes. When he had eaten, his spirit returned to him. For he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.

13 A nd David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick.

David said to him, “To whom do you belong? Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am a young man of Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite. My owner left me behind when I became sick three days ago.

14 W e made a raid upon the South of the Cherethites, and upon that which belongeth to Judah, and upon the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.

We had gone to fight in the Negev of the Cherethites, and in the land of Judah, and in the Negev of Caleb. We burned Ziklag with fire.”

15 A nd David said to him, Wilt thou bring me down to this troop? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this troop.

Then David said to him, “Will you take me down to his army?” And he said, “Promise me by God that you will not kill me or give me to my owner, and I will bring you down to this army.”

16 A nd when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the ground, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

When he had taken David down, he saw the soldiers spread over all the land. They were eating and drinking and dancing because of all the good things they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah.

17 A nd David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, who rode upon camels and fled.

And David killed them from the evening until the evening of the next day. None of them got away, except 400 young men who ran away on camels.

18 A nd David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken; and David rescued his two wives.

David took back all that the Amalekites had taken, and saved his two wives.

19 A nd there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor anything that they had taken to them: David brought back all.

Nothing was missing, small or large, sons or daughters, food or anything that had been taken. David returned with all of it.

20 A nd David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.

And he took all the sheep and cattle. The people drove those animals in front of him, and said, “This is what belongs to David.”

21 A nd David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to abide at the brook Besor; and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.

David came to the 200 men who had been too tired to follow him and had been left at the river of Besor. They went out to meet David and the people who were with him. David came near the people and said hello to them.

22 T hen answered all the wicked men and base fellows, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them aught of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away, and depart.

Then all the sinful men of no worth who had gone with David said, “They did not go with us. So we will not give them anything of what we have taken, except for each man’s wife and children. Each man may take them and go.”

23 T hen said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which Jehovah hath given unto us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.

David said, “You must not do so with what the Lord has given us, my brothers. He has kept us safe and has given us the army that came against us.

24 A nd who will hearken unto you in this matter? for as his share is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his share be that tarrieth by the baggage: they shall share alike.

Who would listen to you about this? The share of those who stay by our things will be the same as the share of those who go to the battle. They will share alike.”

25 A nd it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

He made it a law for Israel from that day to this.

26 A nd when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold, a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of Jehovah:

When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the things he had taken in battle to the leaders of Judah, his friends. He said, “See, here is a gift for you from what was taken from those who hate the Lord.

27 T o them that were in Beth-el, and to them that were in Ramoth of the South, and to them that were in Jattir,

It is for those in Bethel, Ramoth of the Negev, Jattir,

28 a nd to them that were in Aroer, and to them that were in Siphmoth, and to them that were in Eshtemoa,

Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,

29 a nd to them that were in Racal, and to them that were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them that were in the cities of the Kenites,

and Racal. It is for those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, the cities of the Kenites,

30 a nd to them that were in Hormah, and to them that were in Bor-ashan, and to them that were in Athach,

Hormah, Borashan, Athach,

31 a nd to them that were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.

Hebron, and all the places where David and his men have gone many times.”